Padlock



(ModeL) J. w. ELDRIDGE.

PADLOGK- No. 277,469. Patented May 15,1883.

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UNITED STATES JAMES W. ELDRIDGE, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

PADL

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters OCK.

Patent No. 277,469, dated May 15, 1883.

- Application filed September 25, 1882. (ModeL) To all whom at may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. ELDRIDGE, of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Padlocks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, whereby a person skilled in the art can make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to. the letters of reference marked thereo y Like letters in the figures indicate the same parts.

My improvement relates to what are known as padlocks, or looks furnished with a hasp adapted to secure the lock to a staple.

The object of my invention is to provide a padlock which can be used with a spring-catch, both to attach and detach the hasp from a staple or other object in which it may require to be hooked, and which can also be securely locked when desired. Another object of my invention is to provide a padlock which, when simply latched into any staple or ring by the spring-hasp, can be readily and easily locked, so that it cannot be opened except with a key.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 shows a front view of my improved padlock. Fig. 2 shows a side or edge view of the same from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an interior view of my improved lock with the front plate removed, so as to show the working parts. Fig. 4. is a section through the lock on the line a: w of Fig. 1, looking to the right.

A is the case of the lock.

B is the front plate, which is intended to be securely riveted to the case after the several parts of the lock have been inserted.

G is the part corresponding to the hasp of an ordinary padlock. In my improved lock it is made a permanent part of the case A.

Dis a link or swivel attached to the lower end of the case for the attachment of a chain, ifdesired.

E is a bolt sliding in a socket in the case A and pressed outward by a spring, F. Its outer end is made of a form corresponding to the end of the hasp C, and abuts against it under the pressure of the spring.

G is a button or knob provided with a stem, which passes through a slot in the case, and

is attached to the bolt E for the purpose of drawing back the bolt to admit a ring or staple under the hasp.

H is a locking-bolt for locking the springbolt E when desired. It enters a notch, E, in E to lock it, and when withdrawn lies entirely outside of the socket of E, and does not interfere with its movement. The bolt H moves in guides in the case A, so that it is firmly held from moving downward, and thus holds the bolt E from being retracted by any force, except such as would rupture the parts of the lock. The bolt H is connected by a stem, which passes through an opening in the seat of the bolt, with a locking-plate, El,made of a suitable form to be operated upon by a key in the customary manner to withdraw the bolt from the notch E. This plate H maybe made in one piece with the bolt H; or it may be separate and connected with it by the stem, which passes upward through the division in the case, which serves as a seat for the bolt. If made separate, the locking-plate H also moves in suitable guides in the case, so that it can be moved by thekey.

J is a spring, which acts against the rear end ot'the bolt H to throw it into the notch E whenever it is released, as will be described.

K is a pin, which passes through the front plate of the lock and projects somewhat from it, so that it can easily be pressed inward from the outside. It also passes through a semicircular notch in the upper edge of the bolt H, as shown in the drawings, and holds the bolt from being acted upon by the spring J. The upper edge of the bolt H is furnished with a flange or web, H, through Which the semicircular notch is cut for the pin K, and just in front or outward from this flange the pin is furnished with a notch, K, cut through about half its thickness, through which the flange H can pass when the pin is depressed. The pin is held pressed outward by the spring L; but when pushed inward from the outside the notch K comes opposite the flange H and allows the bolt H to be thrown into the notch E by the spring J.

M, N, and O are wards in the lock superimposed upon the lockingplate H and fixed in the case. They are removed in Fig. 3 to show the plate H. These are intended to be cut on the under side to the curve of the sweep of the 2 wanes) wards of the key, so that the key of one look will not fit another having different wards. They are fixed in their position in the case, while the plate H slides back and forth under them.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When the parts of the lock are in the position shown in the drawings the look only acts with a spring-fastenin g. The bolt E is withdrawn by the button G and the ring or other object introduced through the opening, when the knob or button is released, and it closes the opening by the spring 13. This securely holds anything in the hasp from being drawn out,]

but it is easily released by pressing back the button. If it is desired to prevent this and hold the hasp securely, so that it cannot be released by any one not having the key to the look, the pin K is pressed in. This allows the bolt H to enter the notch E and holds the bolt E from being withdrawn. To unlock the padlock it now is necessary to use the key, which is inserted in the customary manner through the key-hole and turned so as to unlock the bolt. As the bolt H moves back the .pin K comes opposite its notch again and springs out, thus holding the bolt till it is again released.

It will thus be observed that my improved padlock can be used as a spring-lock for attaching or releasing any objects so long as desired, and when it is wished to make it more secure it is readily locked by merely pressing upon the pin K. This fastens it so that it can only be opened by the proper key. The key is not required to lock it, but it cannot be opened without it.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In combination with the case A B, provided with the fixed hasp (J and the springbolt E, the locking-bolt H, adapted to be withdrawn by a key, and the releasing-pin K, with their springs J L, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the spring-bolt E, the locking-bolt H, having a plate, H, adapt- 5 ed to be moved by a key, and with a pin, K, adapted to hold said bolt or release it at will by nnlatching said pin, substantially as described.

JAMES W. 'ELDRIDGE.

Witnesses:

THEo. G. ELLIS, EDWIN F. DIMOOK. 

